Article handling apparatus



Sept 22, 1942- T. GREEN ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed July 18, 1941 2 Sheejts-Sheet 1 lnnentor: THTLOR RE N (Ittornegs ,Sept. 22, 1942. EEN

ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 18, 1941 Zimaentor: I Wino/Q GREEN Gttornegs Patented Sept. 22, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,296,611 ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS I Taylor Green, Sarasota, Fla. Application July 18, 1941, Serial No. 403,006

' 1 Claim. (01. 214-75) This invention relates to transportation equipment and more especially to a trailer for carrying tanks and the like from place to place. The present invention is particularly concerned with the transportation of metallic underground tanks to the installation points and also with the handling of the tanks while installing the same.

Since most of the above-mentioned tanks are installed beneath the surface of the earth, it is very essential that the exterior surfaces be given a protective coat of rust-resisting paint. The tanks are usually painted in a shop and allowed to dry before transporting same to the point of installation. Heretofore, much difiiculty has been experienced in obtaining suitable equipment capable of loading, transporting and unloading these tanks without damaging the painted surface. If the tank is not properly handled, the paint wil be removed from certain'portlons thereof and thereby subject the metallic surface to the surrounding earth, resulting in oxidation and the foriningof a hole in the tank. There has also been much difficulty in properly lowering the tank into the ground, during installation. Due to the weight of tanks of this nature it is very essential that the tank be under control at all times, to prevent damage.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a trailer having a hoist for lifting a tank to carrying position between and also having removable means the tank while it is being carried. After excavating a hole at the place of installation, the trailer can be rolled astride the hole, the supporting means removed and the tank lowered by the hoist into the hole with little effort and no danger of the workman injuring himself or damaging the for supporting tank.

It is another object of this invention to provide a trailer of-the class described in combination with a pick-up truck, which will permit one to haul tanks on the trailer, .thereby leaving space in the truck for other articles.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a portion of a truck, with my improved trailer secured to the trailing end thereof;

Figure 2 is a sectional view showing the details of the hoisting mechanism used in association with the trailer;

Figure 3 is an the trailer wheels isometric view showing the 55 trailer in position over a' hole into which a-tank A is adapted'to be lowered;

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken along the line 4-4 in Figure l;

5 Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken along the line 5-5 in Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral l denotes a suitable tractor or truck to which is pivotally secured as at ball I I, a suitable trailer mechanism embodying my improved invention and which is-broadly designated by the reference character l2. The trailer comprises a horizontally disposed U-shaped member it having the ends thereof secured to the ends of a vertically disposed inverted U-shaped member 55, as at E6 and H. The U-shaped member Mhas a. suitable projection l8 integral with the front end thereof, said projection having associated therewith a removable plate l9 and a bolt 20 for holding the plate in position to confine the ball ll within socket lla. The ball II is attached to a bracket 2| on the truck l0.

It will be noted that the U-shaped member I is disposed substantially in a vertical position, whereas the U-shaped member I4 is disposed in a substantially horizontal position. If desired suitable diagonal braces 48 and 39 may be employed to connect the termediate portion of U-shaped members I l and I5 and to thereby add rigidity to the trailer, framework. Rotatably secured near the lower ends of the inverted U- shaped member l5 are suitable wheels 23 and 2i.

Tank supporting structure Also secured to the lower ends of the U-shaped member it are suitable inturned projections 25 and 26, said projections being adapted to support the ends of an arcuate member or saddle 21. This arcuate member is removably held in position 40 upon the projections 25 and 26 by any suitable means such as pins 28 and 29 respectively. Also secured to the upper concave surface of saddle 21 as at 30 and 3| are suitable longitudinally 'disposed stringer members 32 and 33, respectively. 45 The stringer members 32 and 33 are preferably of. wood and if of such material will ordinarily require no padded surface to contact the tank. The purpose of members 21, 32' and 33 'is'to re-- movably support the lower portion of a suspended 60 object such as a y to substantially the position shown 3 and 4.

In order to provide an the tank 35, a second provided, said arcuate member in Figures 1,

additional support for arcuate member 38 has been having a suitable tank .35 when it has been raised lining 38 secured to upper side thereof, upon which-the bottom ofthe tank 35 is adapted-to rest. The ends of the member 38 rest upon the two legs of U-shaped member I and are suitable pins 80 and I]. .If it is desired to vary the position of member 38 upon the legs of U- shaped member ll, it isonly necessary to remove the pins 48 and I and .then shift the support to the proper position so that the holes in the ends of a'rcuate member 38 will coincide with other holes in the legs of the 'U-shaped member. 01' course after the holes are made to coincide the pins 40 and 8|. are, again inserted. It is therefore seen that the members 21, 32, 33, 38 and 33 cooperate to hold the tank 35 after it has once been lifted beneath the U-shaped or arch member. l5.

Hoisting structure The upper member. l5 has a suitable bracket 52 rotatably secured thereto as at 53, said bracket in turn having 'a sheave 54 rotatably mounted therein as plates 68 and Bi,

suitable shaft Tl,

' of inverted U-shaped member able eyelets such as 64 mounted in a bracket cured to the bracket such as stud bolts at 55. A cable 56 passes over the sheave 54 and is wound around a suitable drum 51. has a hook 58 on one end thereof penetrating an eye 59 in a plateilill, said plate being held in clamping relation with a second plate 8| by any suitable means such as bolt 62. Between the the ends of a suitable fastening 63 are adapted The cable 63 passes through suitand 65 on the ends of tank 35.

The drum 51'is fixedly secured as at 10 upon a said shaft 1l having its ends rotatably mounted in brackets 12 and 13 (see Figure 2). The bracket 12 is secured to one leg I I5 by any suitable means such as U-bolts 14 and thebracket 13 has its lower end secured to the same leg of the U- posed beneath the bracket 12 (Figure 3). .The intermediate portion of shaf 1| ,is also rotatably 16, which bracket is se- 15 by any suitable means 11. Fixedly secured on one end of the shaft 1| tween the brackets 12 and 16 is a worm gear 18. Thiswdrm gearmeshes with a worm 80 fixed on a shaft 8|, said shaft having a handle 82 secured to the outer end thereof which is, employedfor secured thereto by means of portion of the inverted U-shaped' This cable and within a cavity 18 be-- winding and unwinding the cable 56 upon and from the drum .51. v After the drum 51 has been elevated to the position shown in Figures l,' 3 and 4, and after the supports 21 and 33 have been placed'in position, the tension in the cable 56 is released to therebyallow the saddles 21 and 38 to sup port the entire weight of the tank. At this time a suitable strapping employed for holding the tank in position while means is preferably it is being transported from one location to another. This holdingmeans may comprise a suitable strap 86, having one end thereof sehorizontal U-shaped member I. Another strap 81 maybe secured to the other leg of the U-shaped member l4, said strap 81 having a suitable buckle 88 thereon for receiving the loose end of the strap 86. Suitable holes 861: are punched in the loose end of a f The trailer 12 handled by one man. 10 a tan 'may be held in fixed position while 2,293,6ll e Operation as described above is easily are inserted and then the tank is lowered upon the saddles. The straps 86 and 81 are united so that the tank it is being transferred from one location to the other. When the tank is transferred to the In the drawingsv been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the appended claim. I

I claim:

A trailer for transporting "-a cylindrical ob-. ject such as a tank,

frame being rigidly secured to the free ends of the other frame, stub axles secured to the lower over the top of the vertical and horizontal movement.

and may be rolled over i ground with the reand specification there has 

